8 Advanced Webmaster Tools You Should Be Using for Better SEO

Google Webmaster Tools (GWT) is one of the most powerful resources in an online marketer’s toolbox -- especially when it comes to SEO. Most of us know how to get around in GWT, and are familiar with some of its basic functions. But there’s so much you can do in GWT that will enhance your site’s ranking in the search results pages.

Whether you’re a beginner in GWT or an experienced pro, I think you’re going to discover a few things in this article that will increase your knowledge of Webmaster Tools.

1. View author stats

Author stats is a not-so-obvious feature of Google Webmaster Tools. The main reason for this is because it’s still in beta. You can access it through the “Labs” section of Google Webmaster Tools through your personal login.

There’s another reason why it’s often overlooked. It’s not a website feature, as much as it is a feature to track your personal stats and visibility as a content producer.

Here’s how to access the structured data highlighter in Google Webmaster Tools.

Click on Search Appearance.

Click on Data Highlighter.

Click “Start.”

Prepare to spend a few minutes acquainting yourself with the tool. It’s not difficult to get started, but it might take a few minutes to completely go through the process of adding schema to any of your pages.

4. Identify HTML improvements

Google tells you exactly what SEO features you should focus on as you optimize your site for search. It’s called “HTML Improvements.”

Duplicate title tags - Lots of SEOs are concerned about duplicate content. It’s a concern that’s probably well-warranted. The fact is, duplicate content is going to happen. It has to happen, especially if a site needs to include, for example, the same legal disclaimer on multiple pages, or other standardized verbiage. Though no one knows quite how, duplicate content might negatively impact search rankings. You can identify any occurrence of duplicate title tags directly in GWT.

Long title tags - Title tags that are too long will be truncated or replaced by Google.

Short title tags - Title tags that are too short are not taking advantage of full SEO potential, and are probably not helpful to users, either.

Non-informative title tags - Google is all about providing information. If, in their view, your title tags are not providing sufficient information, they will let you know.

Non-indexable content. - If your site has non-indexable content such as rich media files, Google will alert you to this.

To examine any of these issues in detail, you can click the hyperlinked topic and identify where exactly on your site the problem is located.

5. Change sitelink ordering

Sitelinks are the additional entries that Google lists underneath your main site in the SERPS. They appear when a user performs a directional or branded search. For example, here are the sitelinks for Quicksprout.com.